


Touch of Winter

by AssassinPyro13



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Breastfeeding, Dad Papyrus, Heats, Papyrus and Gaster are NOT related, Violence, baby sans, more tags to be added later, past mentions of Mpreg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-08-20 21:18:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16563320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AssassinPyro13/pseuds/AssassinPyro13
Summary: Set during the war between Monsters and Humans, Papyrus flees in an effort to save himself and his child (Sans) as they’re being hunted down by human soldiers who are attempting to kill any monster pregnant or  caring for any kind of young monster.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> With "The Letter Z" only a chapter away from being finished, I felt it time to work on this, hoping to get back into the habit of writing again.
> 
> As you might be able to tell, the writing in this will be a little unique; a little something that requires a certain amount of insperation. So this might be a bit slow to update but I really hope people enjoy this and I hope to add a picture at the beginning of every chapter. "Hope" being the key word.
> 
> More tags and such will be added.
> 
> \--
> 
> Want to follow me on Tumblr? Here's a link: https://kinglypineapple.tumblr.com/

                                                                         

 

The field was much more bare and exposed than Papyrus would have liked. Yet, as he clutched his precious bundle to his chest, the monster sprinted, covered by the night sky. Darkness was the best time to travel, especially when trying to hide from humans. Their eyes; not so easily adapted to the lack of light as the skeletal kind of his race. Gaster, had given him time to flee with his child; but for how long, he could not say.

 

For all he knew, his lover could be dead. More of a science man than a fighter, there was no doubt that the other had perished by the enemy’s hands. Cloak so large that it fell over his sockets, Papyrus panted, hearing nothing but the crickets and it’s fellow insects in their symphony, he pushed himself to hurry.

 

He was getting too old for this kind of exercise. Soon enough, the bags under his already pre-existing bags that were nestled under his eye sockets from age, Papyrus felt his body ache with each sound his boots made on impact with the ground.

 

Crying, the baby had woken in his hurry to reach the cover of the forest across the field. And now here, his child wept for food and the comfort of his mother. One; Papyrus was able to provide at the moment, rubbing Sans’ back with his hand.

 

“Hush, little one. We’re almost there. Just a little bit farther.”

 

“Little bit farther” indeed. If only he had such luxury of taking his time. Oh how he had wished that the forest was a bit closer. Already the skeleton could hear the hooves of a human mount; their cries of alarm at having spotted the fleeing monster.

 

All at once, his urgency was more warranted than before. He had no time to plan. His top priority was to get his child to safety. At the risk of possibly losing his own life, the monster would refuse- no - he would not allow anything to come to harm his offspring. Sans was all the family he had left, thanks to this blasted war. It had taken everyone and everything from him. But not this babe. His soul could not possibly take it if the little one was taken from him too.

 

It had been but a strange coincidence, he thought, that the whole affair should happen the day of his own birth. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he had come to be familiar with the irony at his age. Whilst still young for a monster, whom lived for far much longer than a human, fifty was still an old age in it's own strange way. He had been much older than Gaster to begin with. Having been forty-three when the twenty something had sought him out of his own accord. Having been mildly amused at the younger monster, Papyrus allowed the other to continue his efforts only to fall in vain; Papyrus himself, going back to caring for his crops in the meantime, like any good peasant.

 

But the young scholar was undeterred in his efforts and motivation and stopped at nothing to peruse the older farmer; going so far as to help him in the fields, to the best of his abilities, of course. After all, at what point would a wealthy scholar find themselves on farmland if not to study rather than work?

 

However, by some miracle, Papyrus did fall for the younger monster and they had wed with Gasters savings. Not long after that, came Sans. To save on past gruesome details, Sans' birth hadn't been easy nor clean and the infant was thought to pass through the night. When the child proved to be stronger and healthier than the good doctor thought, they had waited months before naming the small skeletal being; to be sure the little one wouldn't die after they had gotten attached.

 

Death among infants was more common than most would like. But sickness was plentiful and medicine was underdeveloped. Humans burned their witches and wizards at the stake or drowning.

 

Truly, dark ages, indeed. It wasn't until the war started did the humans stop killing their own kind and sought after the monster race to satisfy their lust for violence. It wasn't until recently did they start aiming for pregnant monsters or those with offspring. With this dark news, the king of monsters, Alabaster, sent what men he could spare to bring any expecting monster into a nearby war camp for protection.

 

Sadly, the skeletal of their race had been slaughtered, save for three, that had possibly been dwindled down to two. Whatever became of Gaster, Papyrus hadn't a clue. But like all others, he feared the poor scholar hadn't lasted long.

 

Ribs aching and soul pulsing as he panted, Papyrus spied the forest right before him. He had been close and could not afford for his body to give out now. With the sound of hooves right behind him and hot on his trail, the monster clenched his eyes tightly shut and urged his body on whilst Sans wailed in fear from the chase; confused and alarmed at what had been happening.

 

"Archers, shoot them!" He could hear the brisk voice of the commander behind him call out; followed by Archers appearing in all directions of the forest, arrows drawn and ready to shoot. "Do not let them escape!"

 

Teeth tightly closed together in his mixture of exhaustion and irritation, he braced himself listening for any sound of an arrow being let lose.

 

**There!**

 

The faint whistle of arrows flying at him had been quick and faint, aimed for his chest in hopes of hitting his soul that sat nestled in his rib cage, however Papyrus was able to pick up the sound in time to lift a hand, summoning a barrier to protect himself and the babe with what little magic he had remaining.

 

Large thick bones pierced from the ground, ripping the grass and dirt from their places upon the earth as they moved to protect their summoner. However, while that had been enough to stop the archers for the time being, that was not enough to keep the horses and human soldiers at bay.

 

Sadly, with what faint magic he had, he didn't have the ability to summon another barrier. It was either the men with swords behind him or the archers, whom could strike him down from a distance. As difficult this decision was, he opted for keeping the archers at bay; no doubt they were looking for an opening to get to him. But their souls gave them away now that they had been exposed. Glowing brightly from the excitement of battle, they hadn't yet learned how to hide them; something that their mages could aid them in, much to the worry of monster kind.

 

Exhaustion was finally catching up to Papyrus, making his eyes droop in his urge for rest. However, forcing himself to remain awake and alert for the time being, his body was unnaturally heavy and sluggish. Twas only due to him working for years on the farm had his stamina lasted this long, but running for days on end with little sleep is enough to catch up to even the mightiest of warriors and it would cost him the life of his infant and himself, should he give in.

 

And he was right there! He was so close. Reaching his arm our, he swung the arm around and behind them, ordering the bones to abandon their guarding and to take on the quest of defending against the horsemen. As his attack followed his command, Papyrus took a mighty leap, barely missing the arrows that tore through his cloak and lodged themselves in the tree nearby.

 

The forest was just as large and dense as his mother described; full of rich and healthy plants on which to use for potion making. Something he'd have to investigate once he had gotten away. Running to a enormous elder tree, Papyrus quickly ducked to hide in it's twisty roots, providing the monsters with the perfect temporary shelter.

 

It was only when he could no longer hear the hooves of horses, did the monster allow himself to rest, sleeping with his baby nestled in his arms.


	2. Chapter 2

He awoke to sunlight leaking under the large root that he had taken residence in last night. Shining in and blinding him, Papyrus woke to Sans' crying; the babe having been sucking on his cloak out of hunger and had resorted to crying for food when his efforts proved nothing. Barely able to push himself to lean on one arm, sobbing baby in the other, Papyrus pushed himself to his feet, despite the pain his body was suffering. There was not a chance he could stay here. If humans were as determined as believed, then the attackers that he had fled from last night had been scouting this area, nonstop. And with the odds and skill of those men, they would, no doubt, soon find this spot by nightfall. It had been known before. When hunting down monsters, humans ran them ragged, exhausting them until the fell down or collapsed and weakened.

But with any luck, Papyrus and his child would be spared from that fate. They had to. The sooner they reached safety, no matter how short, the sooner his babe could be fed and him, rest. If he remembered correctly, Alabasters camp was quite a ways away. A good weeks travel; days if he was lucky.

Luck was heavily implied that he might have such a thing to rely on. If anything, Gaster was the one who claimed to have such a thing on his side. Throat wracking painfully at the memory of leaving his lover behind, Papyrus steeled himself, shaking his head to correct his attention. He could not focus on that now. To do so would be death,

Walking felt like pins and needles running up and down his body. Soul quivering from the effort, Papyrus merely spared himself a moment, holding his child close to him, listening for any sound of the humans. Hearing none, he tucked his still crying infant under his cloak and slowly crept out from under the root, ignoring the ever growing pain in his body, keeping his hearing focused on the sounds of the forest, finding relief in the sounds of the birds happily chirping away.

The music the birds appeared to sing to them, gave Papyrus a sense of calming and for the first time in weeks, he found himself smiling, standing tall as he stepped through the forest. Taking some time to pull a small map from his pack, he mapped the areas in hope of finding some landmarks on the parchment that could give him any sense of direction. Finding none, he frowned in his displeasure. He was lost.

As if the pain and hunger both him and Sans were suffering from hadn't been bad enough. But to be lost to go along with that was nearly devastating. Truth be told, he wasn't much of a traveler. Other than farming, he wasn't that knowledgeable on much else. While Gaster had attempted to teach him, his aged mind struggled to grasp most of what his lover had taught. Very few, he could recite by heart. Even reading the map had been a struggle. Sure, Gaster had taught him how to read, but Papyrus would admit that he was a poor student at that as well. Barely able to read a book, there was no way he could understand a map. He had to rely on visual at this point, and it was costing him dearly.

"Oh my. Are you lost?" A voice, not unlike King Alabaster had spoken. Soft and gentle, yet demanded attention, caught him off guard and he was face to face with a somewhat young human, no older than he himself had been. Hair red as fire, yet graying in some areas. Standing there with a thick red coat that dropped to cover his legs, much like his cloak, the human appeared unthreatened by Papyrus' skeletal features, even when the monster stiffened.

"Begone, human." Papyrus barked, voice raw and thick with exhaustion, squaring his shoulders, half turned to the side to shield Sans from any possible attempts on their life. "I have no quarrel with you, but should you attack me, I must defend myself."

But his warning was met, not with anger nor hatred, instead with a caring and understanding smile. Eyes softening to the point it appeared to twinkle.

"I should say the same to you, monster." Laughter was light in this humans's voice, raising his hands to show that he held nothing but herbs and mushrooms that he had been gathering when Papyrus had stumbled upon him. "I must admit, you gave me quite a start when you broke out from those bushes-" Had he? Papyrus had been focused on his map and hadn't noticed the foliage. "But I can honestly say that I am not displeased in the slightest."

Then his eyes lowered to Papyrus's arms where the crying had faded to weak whimpering as the cloak parted only slightest to reveal the head of the bundle that was being hidden.

"And I see you have a little one there." If anything, the human's eyes became hard and worried. Pulling himself up, Papyrus watched, even the slightest of movements the human took, using the chance he had to CHECK the man before him, only to jerk back in surprise at the green KIND soul he had held within his body. Seemingly unaware that he had been checked, the human reached out to him and continued. "Come, you're little one must be hungry, and my place is well hidden, perfect for hiding."

Eyes narrowing, Papyrus stiffened, stance forcing more pain through his body.

"What is you aim, human? You assume I am attempting to hide, yet I do not know you, nor your alliance."

"Please." Papyrus must confess that he had never heard a human beg a monster before, for anything. This was new and had him momentarily dropping his guard in his surprise. "You are not the only one trying to hide. I will explain everything, if you chose to come with me. But we must hurry. The soldiers are still nearby. I nearly ran into one but a moment ago."

That was not good news. And not unlikely. It was as if what he had said earlier was happening at this exact moment. But could he trust this human? Even baring a KIND soul, it was dangerous. In the wrong hands, KINDNESS could be manipulated to work against others.

But if the human was to be believed, then he was in great danger. And he had mentioned that there were others hiding as well. Could others have survived and this man was housing them? This was a risk he had to take.

"Very well." Nodding to confirm his decision, he placed his guard back up once more. "But if I am to go with you, I must have your name."

Smiling, the human beckoned the human to follow him, stepping deeper into the forest. "I go by many names. But you may call me Pelznickel."

Pelznickel. That was a name he was familiar with. A strange name; Dutch, if he remembered. He knew that accent but couldn't place it. The meaning of the name was....intimidating, to say the least. He wasn't sure if he wanted to follow a man who's name meant "Thrash" or "Beat", no matter how kind the human appeared. But he indeed did follow him, as promised. And the place he was lead to was indeed, well hidden. Built inside a tree, hidden by roots and overgrown foliage. The house was spacious and roomy enough to fit one person, with a plush couch and a warm fireplace.

Pelznickel, having locked the door behind Papyrus, soon disappeared around the corner through a rounded archway that lead to what looked to be the kitchen to place his harvest away. As the human did so, Papyrus walked around, bouncing the sleeping babe, gently in his arms in attempt to keep Sans asleep for a little while longer.

"I apologize for the mess," Pelznickel mused, returning with what appeared to be cups of warm brown liquid, placing them on the table in front of the nearby plush couch. "It's not often I get company and I normally don't live so drab. But the war has taken a toll on me, as you might have guessed."

Remaining silent, Papyrus watched the human with muted interest, stepping around the couch, meeting the eyes of the human.

"Why did you offer to hide me?" He found himself asking, body now shaking from the effort to remain standing. "You have nothing to gain as your kind are trying to kill us."

The statement resulted in a devastated and broken glance from the human.

"I am aware. But I have nothing to gain. I do not agree with what my kin do, nor do I support it. No one in my homeland did." Sighing, Pelznickel shook his head, gesturing for Papyrus to sit before choosing a nearby chair that sat beside the couch, looking equally as plush, holding one of the steaming cups to drink from.

Deciding to give in, Papyrus allowed himself to sit, pulling Sans from under his cloak, seeing the infant move as he did so. Looking up, he saw the loving look the human had on his face at the sight of the baby. Giving a weak laugh, Papyrus looks back at Sans, setting the infant on the couch, using his cloak to keep the little one from rolling off as he reached for the spare cup that sat on the table, bringing it to his nose to sniff. It smelled oddly sweet and not like any tea he ever encountered before.

"For a man with a name like yours, You're oddly gentle." Papyrus joked, risking a sip of the drink, however, not catching much taste. "I have never met anyone with a name as yours with a gentle soul."

Once more, Pelznickel's eyes were twinkling.

"I do go by other names, too." The human laughed ."Pelznickel is such a hard name for most in this land. I am also known as Saint Nicholas in my homeland." 

Nearly inhaling the liquid, Papyrus coughed, staring at the human, eye sockets wide. This human was a saint? Such a thing were considered Holy. It was illegal for both sides to attack a man of such stature. Yet, why is he here?

"Forgive me." he croaked, accepting the offered napkin to dab at his chin that dripped with the dark fluid. "But a Saint? You... What is a man like you doing in a hovel like this? A man of your stature-"

"Mages, even with pretty titles, have no business except fighting on the battlefield." The newly announced Saint, interrupted, sadly. "And I fear that I would not do well in this war. Or any, mind you. I help when I can but I can not fight. Not for this." Staring sadly in his glass.

Papyrus knew not, what to say. For the man was right. Mages, once discovered, were stripped of their fancy titles, should they have any. But judging how this man was still referring to himself as a Saint, it only meant that he had not yet been found to be a mage. Nickolas plastered on a smile, sad as it still was, before turning his attention once more to the monster.

"But, I digress." He gave a warm chuckle. "If you must call me something, call me Kris Kringle. It was the name my mother gave me and I rather find myself attached to it."

Smiling at the mage's humor, Papyrus nodded. "Very well." He agreed. "You may call me Papyrus."

Turning to Sans, he smiled, rubbing a thumb along the infants cheek. "And this little one is Sans. My son."

"And he is adorable." Kris agreed, nodding as he stood. "And you both must be hungry. Allow me to make you some food. I do believe I still have some infant formula around here." Stepping around his chair, Kris, once more, disappeared in the kitchen. "I had a merchant that had hidden here a few days ago and forgot it. Sadly, he never came back for it so we might as well use it."

It was a bit of small lick for them, he suppose. Part of Gaster must have rubbed off on them after all. And that only meant that they had a little bit of his lover with them. Smiling at the thought, he brought the cup to his mouth and took a large drink of the liquid.

It was hot cocoa.


	3. Chapter 3

                                                            

 

When Kris offered him some parchment and a stick of charcoal, Papyrus all but jumped at the offer. The opportunity to brush up on his drawing had dwindled since he had to flee from the mob that had destroyed his clan. Even less so since he had a little one to care for. With Sans fed and set safely to the side of the couch, Kris' plush pillows and a blanket to keep the babybones from tumbling off the furniture, the elder monster sat nearby, scribbling on the given parchment, mind focused on what his soul begged to see once more.

Having more experience on scenery more than of his own kind, many errors have been made of the monster he had been delicately scribbling. Slowly and surely, the sight of his loved one came into form. Unfortunately, what he had scene frustrated him to the point of weeping. Long had he wished he could capture his loved one's graceful angles. Gaster's perfectly rounded triangled face had been reduced to childish sloppy scribbles. Gasters body had been lean, not the fat blob that his drawing had become. Although the smirk. Such a thing had been easy to capture, as well as his eyes. If anything, he could take reference from his child on his lovers looks. Sans took much after Gaster and little from himself that it had Papyrus slightly conflicted on how he felt about it.

But that smile. Lowering the charcoal, Papyrus felt the burn of tears beginning to well. His lover had been such a prankster for one so knowledgeable. The monster tended to get in trouble with his jokes and pranks outside his studies. That same smirk that Papyrus ended up falling for, was what always got Gaster in trouble, giving the skeleton away once the prank had been set into motion.

Holding tightly to the charcoal in his fist, he barely noticed when it broke in his grasp, pieces dropping to his feet as his tears ran down his face, dripping on the picture below as he broke down in his misery. Soon enough, he had allowed the remains of the charcoal drop to the floor, reuniting the pieces, to clutch a hold of his skull, openly wailing at the loss of his mate. Even with his child sleeping soundly beside him, he could not hide his pain from the nearly empty abode. It hadn't been fair. In no way was Gaster supposed to go before him, not even at the hands of the humans. In all accounts, with his age, papyrus should have been the first one to dust, having been slower and older.

He tried to convince Gaster that day to flee with Sans instead of the route that had been taken. He had tried to explain that he had been the stronger of the two, physically. He even though his speed hadn't been up to par with the humans that had attacked, slaughtering every monster in sight. He still could have withstood their blows, lasted just a little bit longer. He could have withstood the tortures, the beatings; any pain that could have been dealt, Papyrus was able to bear all and any blows the humans could muster at him.

But Gaster had been stubborn. He had insisted that he could do it before summoning his magic, force Papyrus and Sans away through his teleportation magic opening underneath him. The next thing Papyrus knew, he was kneeling behind a blockade of crates and barrels from the fishermen, hearing the screams from his fellow skeletal kin, smelling the ash and dust that littered in the humans wake as they torched every hut they came across, blocking in any monster that hadn't fled their houses just yet. He had remained steady then, refusing to allow himself to wither, even when his own house was broken into before his very eyes, however, at a distance. The last he had seen before his farm had gone up into flames to mach the rest of the village, came in the form of a purple blast from a strange skeletal beast that had bitten a human soldier in half earlier, lower have of the soldier still in it's jaws before the blast.

Watching in horror as the remaining humans that had broken into his house block the door, keeping the best inside, Papyrus cried out in horror as their mage set fire to the straw roof, flames eating away eagerly at the material; the faint sounds of Gaster screaming and crying out as he attempted to break down the door until he had fallen silent.

Unfortunately, Papyrus' cry had carried and soon, found himself with the eyes of the soldiers he would eventually escape from. It had taken them one look at the babe in his arms, did a sneer cross the leaders face, and thus, the chase had begun.

Wiping the fallen tears from his face, he glanced upward when he potted a handkerchief in front of his face. Taking it gently, the monster could merely dab lightly at his face with the silken cloth, weeping lowering to a manageable level, clutching the now damp fabric against his skull.

"Do you wish to speak of it?" Kris had spoken softly, kneeling in front of the grieving monster he was housing.  His thin face had scrunched up in worry as his blue eyes bore deeply into his sockets, losing their joyful twinkle. "It wouldn't be a bother. I understand that a lot has happened in the past few days for you."

The comment released a sad yet pitiful breathy laugh from the monster. Lowering his arms, he rested against his legs with said arms propping him up. "A lot" had been such an understatement. So much more had happened than the mage could ever know, and no matter how much he tried to hide it, the weight of it all nearly crushed Papyrus' soul in his grief.

"Forgive me." Croaked the skeleton, using his wrist to wipe one final tear away. "I haven't been able to properly mourn my village. I had been on the run for so long that I hadn't the chance to grieve, otherwise I would have been caught."

Humming, Kris had nodded, standing up to pat Papyrus's shoulder. Such a gesture had seemed so small in comparing to what he had been used to, but that was understandable, considering that humans knew very little about monsters in general. But it had been an effort and Papyrus had been grateful all the same. Reaching up, he grasped tightly to the comfortingly strong hand, absorbing all the comfort that he could obtain from the mage.

"I feel your pain." Kris whispered mournfully, eyes falling to the picture that Papyrus had drawn. "I too have lost someone, due to this senseless war." Following his confession had been silence. Papyrus hadn't the strength to even look the human in the eyes, too weak and tired from his earlier grief. The food that Kris had managed to make them felt like it all would have come back up if his magic hadn't already absorbed it. Blinking, he had caught sight of the mage tentatively picking up the drawing he had made and had examined it. "I take it that this is your husband?"

Smiling tiredly, Papyrus lets out a soft breath of air.

"Yes." He confirms, sitting back until his spine was nestled comfortably in the couch behind him. "His name was Gaster."

The pretense did not escape the human as he sat in the seat he had been in during their midday meal. Look hardening at the phrasing, Kris had said nothing; simply giving a quick look to the infant that slept happily, belly full of milk after days of no feedings. Turning back to the picture, Kris could only give a small laugh.

"The likeness is uncanny. I can see he takes more after him."

Sockets softening in the warming voice that the mage held, Papyrus gave a smile, reaching over to rub Sans belly. "Of course he would. Tis my luck, as of the past few years. I cannot escape it."

"Would you want to?" Kris had questioned gently, smiling at him. Papyrus didn't even have to think as he picked up his babe, holding the little one close to himself as the babe gave a yawn.

"I fear that I do not. Not really. Who would want to give this up?"

Kris merely chuckled, pulling himself to his feet. "I thought not. Now come along. I will show you where you may sleep."

* * *

 

The next morning after their morning feast had been, interesting to say the least. Bent over the wooden tub on the floor, Papyrus had insisted on cleaning the dishes after the meal. Despite Kris' protest, the monster refused to allow the graying human to get on his knees to work on such a thing as dishes. Papyrus had to pay him back somehow, and part of that, he felt, could have been done by doing some cleaning up, even when Kris insisted that no such thing was needed.

So they compromised. While Papyrus went on his way cleaning, the mage would care for Sans until the skeleton was once more free to take the infant back.

In the living area, Kris sat with Sans in his arms. Eating cookies, the human read to the infant, making funny faces every so often, which elected giggles from said infant. Allowing the babe to pat at the pages, the human chuckled at the infant's silly behavior. It hadn't mattered that the book hadn't been English, the little monster was enjoying himself with the human.

Finishing up the cleaning, Papyrus could hear the giggling and he smiled. The sound of his little one had been keeping him going this day. It had been so long since Sans had laughed and to hear it once more, even at a time like this, had grounded him. Lifting the tub, the filthy water sloshed in the wooden ring that held it, Papyrus stepped out of the kitchen, moving past the chair to start for the door, just in time to witness the humans cookie eating.

"One of these days, you're going to get fat with eating that many cookies." He had joked, earning a belly laugh from the scrawny human as the skeletal being grabbed the door knob.

"As it may, I fear I am doomed to such a fate." Kris agreed with another laugh that shook his belly. The movement that had followed had caused Sans to laugh along, waving his small arms excitedly as he did so. Bringing another cookie to his mouth, he smiled brightly at the skeleton. "But how could one such as myself resist. I find them absolutely delectable!"

Pulling the door open, Papyrus gave a loud bark of a laugh. "Ha! Well if you find that delectable, I wonder what else will you find charming. Next you will announce that you'd be growing a beard. Humans are such strange creatures."

However, instead of responding, Kris brought a hand to his clean shaven face, rubbing his jaw, leaving cookie crumbs on the small stubs of hair that had begun to form. "A beard, huh?"

"Please do not, Kris!" Papyrus laughed, finally stepping out of the house. "You would look ridiculous!"

* * *

 

Not long after that, Kris had to leave for his daily gathering, leaving the monsters alone. Papyrus had been instructed not to leave the building, least there were soldiers still running about. While his human friend could pass off as a hermit, Papyrus, could do no such thing. And even should he have been able to, the monster would have been instantly slaughtered, no questions asked, followed by his babe. And there was no way he'd risk the safety of Gaster's only son.

Hour after hour, Kris hadn't returned, which had inevitably caused Papyrus to worry. So to keep himself from riling himself into a panic, the monster strapped his babbling infant to his back and went around, cleaning the house in Kris' stead. Soon enough, the day had passed into night without him realizing. By the time Papyrus was given the special knock to allow the mage inside, the entire place had been spotless. Taking notice of this as soon as he had hung his red cloak up on the rack beside the door, Kris simply laughed his silly belly laugh, causing the monster to blush.

"silence," Papyrus gripped, bouncing a giggling Sans in his arms. "I had very little to do. Besides, the place needed the cleaning anyway."

"It did indeed." Human agreed, joyfully, eyes closed and crinkling in amusement.

* * *

 

"I must ask," Papyrus started one day, watching the mage prep the harvest that he had acquired on his foraging. Standing beside the human as he cleaned the many ingredients, the monster watched with curious fascination. "What are the mushrooms for? Surely they have no use for a meal. Those are poisonous, are they not?"

"Indeed they are." Kris nodded, continuing to wash the mushroom, leather gloves securing his hands. "The powder as well as the chemicals in them are indeed toxic. However, these are not for consuming."

"Then what are they for? I feel that this puzzles me."

"T'is for my potions." Kris simply stated, placing the now clean mushroom in with the others, moving to the final one. "It mustn't make much sense to you, but it is for a warding."

"Warding?" Blinking in surprise. Papyrus let out a cry in surprise. "I think I understand! It's to alert you, am I correct?"

"You are!" Smiling at the skeleton, Kris removed the gloves, careful on what he touched. He would, no doubt, be cleansing his hands once his potion making was done. "It was how I knew you were there in the forest that day. I had thought you a soldier at the time, however."

Remembering at the look on Kris' face during their first accouter, Papyrus felt a bubble of amusement in his being. The surprise on the mage's face had made sense at the moment. Placing a hand over his mouth, the monster fought off a laugh, catching sight of the amused twinkle in the human's bright blue eyes again.

"Yes, yes. I too find that amusing. As you may guess, I was not expecting to find a monster of all things there. However, it was a pleasant surprise. I haven't had company for a long time. I am glad to have met you before I depart in a few days."

This had sobered the monster of his laughter. Joy draining from his being, worry littered the skeleton's face. "You are leaving? So soon? What... what about us...?"

What indeed. Papyrus couldn't bring it to believe that Kris would up and abandoned them. Whilst they had only known him for about a week, he was sure that the human wouldn't just leave someone as such. But that didn't erase the doubt in his mind. He hadn't any idea of where he was. Almost as if sensing his worry, Kris placed his hands on Papyrus' shoulders.

"Fear not, my friend. I do not aim to just leave you here. I had planned to take you with me." With the blue eyes on him with a fond warmness, the monster found himself relaxing slightly.

Only to stiffen again. 

The idea of travelling with Kris was a tempting offer. The human obviously knew his way around, knew how to hide and feed off the land.

But Sans came into mind. Travelling with Kris would doom them to a life of running. Such a thing was not healthy for a child. To flee from place to place would have been difficult without a baby, by itself. But to drag a growing infant. No. He still needed to reach Alabasters camp. Needed to be with other monsters. Whilst he cared deeply for the human, Sans needed a steady and safe life.

"I fear I cannot, my friend." Papyrus found himself whispering, grabbing at Kris' hand as he had done so many times during their stay in the hollowed tree. Smiling weakly, he squeezed the hand in his grasp. "But I still desire to reach one of the camps my king has placed.... Though, I do not know the way to go." Bowing his head in shame, Papyrus held the map he carried for so long, his soul ached at the sight of Gasters handwriting. "Map reading, I fear, is a bit hard for me."

Dropping his hands, Kris took the map, looking it overs with a thoughtful hum, rubbing his jaw in puzzlement. It only took but a moment before the twinkle returned to his eyes and a smile graced his face.

"Then I will aid you. I hear tale of a camp, whether it is your king's or not, I can at least take you as far as my deer will allow it. However, I can not get too close. I am still a human you know."

Once more, tears stung his sockets with tears, however, this time, they were not of sadness or grief.

"I would appreciate that, Kris. I would like that very much."

It took him a few hours to pause.

Did Kris say " _deer_ "?


	4. Chapter 4

They had decided to leave at night.

The "deer" that Kris had previously mentioned all those days ago, had turned out to be exactly what Papyrus had been expecting, yet at the same time, held a sort of ferocity about them. The wild, rugged looks, even having been brushed, did little for the monsters confidence when it came to bringing his babybones anywhere close to them. The beasts were bulky and bumbled over their own legs as they move. Untamed was more what he had thought of them. Ungraceful and wild beasts that were much larger than the normal stags he had been used to back when they crept on his farm in the dead of night for a chance to nibble at the apple trees he grew out back.

Even with his newfound human friends encouragement, the idea of bringing Sans even remotely close to those beasts had been out of the question. Sadly, he had little choice. The day for parting of their small domestic hovel had arrived long before Papyrus had wished. The days before, the sounds of soldiers drawing closer to finding them had been unsettling, and there had been flyers out for his head; a bounty. The thought sickened the monster. Not because it was his face on the poster, but for the fact that there was a bonus for the slaughter of his child. It had not escaped his notice that the humans might have found out that one skeleton remained alive, and to them, that one single skeleton had the potential to do such a horrendous thing as _reproduce_. Considering that he was a current mother to a near newborn must not have set right by them. While humans could only produce offspring via man and woman, they had little knowledge that monsters didn't require gender.

It amused Papyrus greatly, however, when the bounties listed him as female despite his obvious masculine figure and square hips.

Kris, had been less than pleased when he returned one day with a flyer one of the patrols gave him, thinking the mage was a simple hermit man. That was they day that the two adults had begun their packing. Even with the mage's brew, there was a risk to staying. With Sans strapped firmly to his back, Papyrus provided aid with pushing out the mage's large sled that he inherited from his father, a woodworker in his homeland. Although, wielding a few modifications that allowed the large structure to escapade the woodland terrain, it had looked worn and beaten; ready to break at the slightest bump.

It would have to do. They had little else to use and the idea of travelling on foot would take a much longer journey and a much more hazardous travel, much to much for a babe as small as Sans. With most of the home strapped to the back of the compartment of the sleigh, Kris made sure to pack only what he was positive that he couldn't live without. Leaving most of his furniture and personal belongings behind, the mage mostly took everything magical and edible. Blankets here and there littered amongst books and infant supplies; diaper, Papyrus was sad to say, were very few. Sans went through a lot of those and there would be very little places to clean the cloths.

Feral deer strapped in and prepped for travel, Kris sat on the right side, reigns held tight in his steady hands. Long ago, Papyrus would never be able to imagine a human with such gangling and feeble looking wrists could possibly wrangle the beasts he tended to. The few days travelling with Kris would, no doubt, be exciting. The monster had long since learned that the mage was not nearly as weak as the Font serif had condemned him to be. Clamoring unsteady within the left side of the sleigh, Papyrus was steady when sitting down, cautious as to not rock the entire contraption with the babe latched onto his tit.

Suckling, the infant remained unbothered by his mothers concern; more satisfied with his feeding than the dangerous and treacherous travel they would be facing for days to come.

Kris had been rather fascinated when Papyrus first conjured his magic for feeding time. Fixed on watching the babe feed, it hadn't been long before the human to question the possibility, in the sweetest fashion Papyrus had ever heard. That day, before answering, the monster had commented how much the human was reacting similar to a husband to his wife and newborn rather than a friend and young child. Caught in the moment, Kris had given a loud chortle, face red with embarrassment at having been compared to such a thing.

 _"I fear, the chances of me getting married, are sadly limited."_ The mage had spoken, crestfallen despite the clearly strained smile on his face in hopes not to bring the monsters mood down with his own. _"But if I should get married, my dear must be pleasantly plump, hard worker, and make me delicious cookies."_

Mock gasping, the monster simply coyly slapped the mage on the shoulder.

 _"And what woman, such as that, could handle you?"_ Papyrus had teased, smiling in kind at the sputtering the human gave off. _"Besides, once she sees how fat you have gotten from her cookies, surely, she would leave you for a roguishly handsome monster, such as myself."_

All in jest, Kris had took the teasing with a light heart and chortled once more at the mocking the other gave. Both of them knew that Gaster was the only monster for Papyrus. Having tried so hard to acquire Papyrus' affection had earned him that much. Any thoughts on replacing him was too hurtful a thought to even entertain.

_"Then I must fight for her honor, however, not a battle in traditional standards. One of skill! We would have a toy making contest!"_

That had surprised Papyrus at first.

 _"You make toys?"_ He had found himself questioning with equal surprise. Somehow, he could not picture the aristocrat doing such a thing as work, let along craft toys. Scoffing playfully at the look the monster sent him, the mage lightly pushed the other on the shoulder.

_"Oh don't act so surprised. How do you think your little one acquired the little wooden horse?"_

It had been a mystery when the skeleton happened upon his infant playing with the strange wooden horse one day. But like most days, he had simply chosen not to question it. That silly thing had kept Sans busy long enough for the older monster to sleep an hour longer than normal. Sure, the babe's feeding time had been difficult to fix after that but it had come in handy if Papyrus was running on low energy.

He just never put it together that Kris had built it.

Bought it, maybe? There was a small human village a few hours away. Or perhaps he found it by chance. The fact that the human took the time to whittle and paint a thing as silly as that had warmed Papyrus' soul.

He made sure to pack the silly horse before they left.

With but a few clicks escaping the mage's teeth, once the human was sure the monster was settled, they had been off in a flash. The speed they had undergone had the monster reaching out to hold onto Kris, whom had been surprisingly sturdy as he reigned the deer throughout the forest, trampling everything in their path. Pulling his wrap further over his suckling infant to avoid the brunt of windburn, Papyrus took the time to study the beasts pulling their ride, marveling at the instant change he had spotted on them.

No longer had they seemed untamed and clumsy animals. Replaced by graceful forms as they sped past all in their way, terrifying birds, squirrels and a bear or two. Muscles visible under their pelts, all that was heard had been the breaths they took, followed by the sounds of their hooves along the ground. All in an instant, gone was the ugliness he had spend his remaining time watching from afar as the mage fed and cared for them. In their places were but spirit guides; doing their part in helping a worried parent to keep their child safe, and Kris, their leader.

With the lit lantern, Papyrus could do nothing but turn and stare at the redhead. Neck length, flaming locks blew behind him. Goggles firmly in place, the mage was smiling; exhilarated at the rush, the speed at which they had been traversing. Eyes twinkling in excitement, the human turned to smile at his monster passengers.

 _'It's going to be okay.'_ His look had seemed to say. _'We will make it out of this.'_

**_And damn, if he hadn't believed it._ **

With a smile of his own, Papyrus nodded tiredly, giving into the same rush that his human companion felt. Somewhere along the way, his babe had stopped his feeding in exchange for snuggling against his mother, using the bounces of the ride to encourage his burps before settling in the sling he was in. This allowed the skeleton to vanish the unneeded pair of breasts, petting Sans' tiny head.

It had been so peaceful, so serene, he wanted it to stay that way.

But such pleasures do not last long. Having looked up from his babe and back to Kris, the monster spotted the serious expression the mage dawned as he turned to him; looking past the monster and to something that had been hidden in the darkness. Without so much as uttering a word, the mage placed both reigns in a single hand to reach up to the lantern, and blow it out.

Only to cry out in pain as an arrow pierced the palm of his hand long before he could touch the light source. A cry so agonized, it hadn't felt right hearing from the human it had escaped from. Gaping, papyrus had no time to react to the attack and the blood that escaped from the wound. Arrow going straight through the bone of Kris' palm, the human clutched his injured limp, mistakenly letting go of the reigns of the deer, forcing the monster to leap into action and grab at the thick leather with startled, shaky hands. The loud cry from the human had alarmed Sans. Upon waking, the babe had begun to wail, kicking his small feet in his displeasure against his mothers nearly exposed ribs.

"Kris!!" His voice hadn't sounded like his own. Even though he had been aware he had uttered it, the voice he heard hadn't matched the version he had been familiar with. "The reigns!"

Gripping as tightly to the leather reigns, Papyrus bared his teeth as they had started to slip from his grasp, burning his bones. "Take the reigns! I will heal you!"

However, the monster was unsure at how wise- or in this case- unwise as that might be. Arrow still sticking from his hand, Kris was clutching it to his chest, expression nothing but pain. Any chance of healing, would have to wait until they were safe. Looking off to the direction the arrow had come from, Papyrus had very little time to react to avoid a sword to the head from a man on horseback, ducking for the offending weapon to lodge into the sleigh's seat behind him. They had been waiting for the two to flee, there was no doubt. With a flick of his hand, Papyrus was barely able to summon a bone to block another assault once the soldier managed to free his weapon.  
  
Arrows being lodged on the construction they sat within, Papyrus held strong as he held off the sword with the weakest bone he could summon on such short notice alone. Leather slipping from his hand, the monster gave one final cry as they slipped from his bony grasp-

-Only for Kris to quickly latch onto them with his good hand, touching them roughly to the side.

The sleigh hit the human. Horse falling over from the blow, let out a blood curling cry as it was sent tumbling, knocking over the other two.

"Lets get out of here, Paps."

That was all Kris had said. Teeth bared with blood pouring down his face from his hairline.

That was all he needed to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little short, but it went rather well... Umm... I'm going to bed now. Night.


End file.
